Therapeutic stocking

ABSTRACT

A full length stocking comprising a circumferentially elastic boot portion including elastomeric filament containing elastic yarn; a narrow elastic band formed of non-slip elastomeric webbing material; and an attachment portion comprising a singleply circumferential strip at the top of the boot portion. The band is attached to the strip by over-edge stitching.

I Un1ted States Patent 1 1 1111 3,874,001

Patience et a1. Apr. 1, 1975 [5 THERAPEUTIC STOCKING 1.644.185 10/1927Fischer 2/240 9 9 I 1 1 9 1751 Donald Patience, Barringwn; Roger11335223 5/1332 111121;??? "621145 3 Swallow, Crystal Lake; Edward2.903.872 9/1959 Ledwell 112/269 G. Hartigan, Schaumburg ll of 11.;3.362.029 1/1968 Comerma 2/240 Herbert Knohl, Seneca, S.C. 3,728.8754/1973 Hartigan 66/172 E [73] Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company, NewFOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS York, N.Y. 17,180 12/1892 United Kingdom2/240 [22] Filed: Mar. 13, 1973 Primary E.ran1uzerWerner H. Schroeder[21] Appl. No.: 340,727

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 2/240 A full length stocking comprising acircumferentially [51] Int. Cl. A6lf 13/08 elastic boot portionincluding clastomeric filament [58] Field of Search... 2/239. 240;66/172 E. 172 R, containing elastic yarn; a narrow elastic band formed66/177; 128/165 of non-slip elastomeric webbing material; and anattachment portion comprising a single-ply circumferen- [56] ReferencesCited tial strip at the top of the boot portion. The band is at- UNITEDSTATES PATENTS tached to the strip by over-edge stitching. 683.90210/1901 Blanchard 112/269 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures THERAPEUTICSTOCKING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to fulllength therapeutic stockings of the type which includeelastomercontaining yarns which exert a compressive force on the legportion covered by the stocking boot.

Stockings of this type typically have a rather precisely defined andcontrolled pressure profile in order to effect a predeterminedcompression of the deep venous system of the leg. Often thispredetermined compression profile takes the form of a degree ofcompression which decreases from the region of the foot to the region ofthe upper thigh. In certain situations it may be desirable to have apronounced dip in the pressure profile in certain regions (e.g., aroundthe knee) with a consequent increase in the compressive force in theregion immediately above that dip, but with a resumption of the generaldecline in compressive force from that location above the dip to theregion of the upper thigh.

A problem with stockings of the foregoing type has been an undesirablereversal or inversion of this upwardly decreasing pressure profile inthe region of the elastic band around the top of the stocking which iscustomarily provided to properly retain the stocking on the leg. Sincesuch stockings are typically made in, at most, a few sizes, thisundesirable pressure on the leg in the region of the elastic retentionband is most pronounced when the stockings are used on patients having athigh circumference near, or even over (i.e., a misfitted stockingapplication by the nurse), the maximum thigh circumference for whichthat size stocking was intended. To a large degree this problem has beeneliminated by providing an interrupted elastic band with a soft fabricinsert between the severed ends of the band. Such a stockingconstruction is disclosed in Hartigan et al. US Pat. No. 3,728,875,issued Apr. 24, I973.

In stockings without such an insert and, to a much lesser degree, evenin stockings with such an insert, the stocking structure in the regionwhere the elastic band is attached to the main body of the stocking isfound to often cause, especially with overlarge thighs or misfittedstockings, an actual tourniquet effect or, at least, a possibletourniquet effect indicated by a marking of the skin which is caused bya pronounced bead on the inner stocking surface in the region ofattachment of the elastic band to the stocking body. This bead itselfmay not, for a given patient, produce an actual pressure profileinversion. (The local pressure at the bead is difficult to measureaccurately.) The marking, however, is undesirable in itself as it oftencauses concern in the patient or the physician as to the suspectedpresence of a dangerous pressure inversion.

In view of the foregoing, it is a principal object of the presentinvention to provide a construction in a stocking of the type describedwhich reduces either marking of the patients skin or an actualtourniquet effect, or both, in the upper portion of the stocking. It isa further object to provide such an improved stocking which isrelatively efficient and inexpensive to manufacture while stillachieving the elimination of undesirable compression levels in the upperregions of the stocking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve these and other object as will morefully appear herein, a full length stocking according to the inventioncomprises a circumferentially clastic boot portion including elastomericfilament containing clastic yarn and a narrow elastic band formed ofnon-slip elastomeric webbing material. Also provided is an attachmentportion which comprises a single-ply circumferential strip at the top ofthe boot portion, the band being attached to that strip by over-edgestitching. In preferred embodiments of the invention the strip isintegral with the boot portion and is circumferentially elasticincluding elastomeric filament containing elastic yarn. It is alsopreferred that the over-edge stitching comprise a two thread merrow seamformed with the aid of a large stitch finger, the thread consisting ofbulk yarn or stretch yarn.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features, andadvantages of the invention will appear from the following descriptionof a particular preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a typical therapeutic stocking;

FIG. 2 is a partially schematic, broken away. enlarged view of a portionof such a therapeutic stocking illustrating a typical prior artconstruction;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a construction accordingto the present invention, with the stocking in a relaxed state prior toplacement on a patients leg; and

FIG. 4 illustrates the changes which occur in the stocking of FIG. 3when the stocking is in a stretched condition as, for example, afterplacement on the patient's leg.

DESCRIPTION OF A PARTICULAR PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1,the therapeutic stocking 10 comprises a body or boot portion 12 whichtypically is circularly knit and includes circumferentially disposedelastic yarns. An elastic band 14 is attached to the upper thigh region16 by stitching 18.

Referring to the greatly enlarged views of FIGS. 2-4, thecircumferentially disposed. elastic yarns in the upper thigh region 16of the boot portion 12 are indicated schematically at 20. The elasticband 14 typically includes an elastic fabric body 22 and a non-slip,grooved elastomer 24 extruded onto the inner surface of the body 22. Thestitching 18, 18a is indicated very schematically, the various typicalstitches and the preferred over-edge two thread merrow seam used in thepresent invention being well known, per se, to those skilled in the art.

A prior art construction is illustrated in FIG. 2. An attachment strip26 comprising the extreme upper portion of the upper thigh region 16 ofthe stocking body 12 is disposed on the inner surface of the main body22 of the elastic band 14 and the members 26 and 22 are sewn withstitching (as schematically illustrated in FIG. 2) which passes throughthe portion of strip 26 abutting the body 22 and, additionally, theportion 28 of strip 26 which curls over toward the wearers leg. As iswell known by those skilled in the art, the curling over of a portion 28in the sewing of a single-ply strip 26 to the elastic band 14 isunavoidable. The resulting structure, however, was effectively a two-plywelt formed in the strip 26 since that strip 26 was effectively sewn toitself.

The result of this conventional placement of the fabric comprising theupper thigh portion 16 of the stocking inside the elastic band 14, aswell as the choice of stitch which caused a double penetration of theupper strip 26 of portion 16, was a prominent bead on the inner surfaceof the stocking around its circumference at the juncture of the bootportion 12 and the elastic band 14. This bead, and possibly thestitching 18 itself can be the source of a tourniquet effect giving adangerous pressure profile inversion and, at the very least, produces amarking of the patient's skin adjacent the bead which can cause anxietyin patient and physician alike as to the possible presence of adangerous pressure inversion.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a stocking construction according to thepresent invention as initially sewn and as stretched under conditions ofactual use, respectively. Preparatory to the actual sewing, the extremeupper portion of the strip 26 engages the outer surface of the elasticband 14, while lower regions of the strip 26 bend around to the innersurface of the band 14 so as to simplify the sewing process. As isevident from a comparison of the schematical stitching representationsin FlGS. 2 and 3, according to the invention a larger stitch size 18a isemployed which, along with the changed orientation of the strip 26 withrespect to the elastic band 14, assures a single penetration of thethread through the strip 26 and adequate play in the stitching 18a toassure the deformation upon application of the stocking to a ptient asis shown in FIG. 4 and described below. 7

Referring to FIG. 4, it is apparent that the convoluted shape of thestrip 26 as shown in FIG. 3 becomes much flatter in the stretchedcondition shown in FIG. 4 (but for the inevitable curled-over portion 28which, according to the invention, bulges toward the outside of thestocking 10 so as to avoid a bead adjacent the patient's skin); In thestretched condition the stitching 18a is represented as more oval inshape and the relationship of the upper thigh portion 16 and the elasticband 14 approaches a true butt joint" so as to provide a markedimprovement in the smoothness of the inner surface'of the stocking 10 inthe region of the stitching 18a.

While the stitching 18a is shown in a schematic form so as to avoidobscuring the changes which occur between FIGS. 3 and 4, the actualpreferred stitch is stitch type 503 (a two thread merrow seam) which isdefined in Federal Standard Number 751a of the Federal Standards of SeamSpecifications. The actual thread is preferably either a bulky yarn or astretch yarn,

The larger stitch size which is employed according to the invention (andwhich is illustrated by a comparison of H68. 2 and 3) is important toprovide a softer seam 12 inch band 14 to a stocking boot 12: for atypical small stitch finger as previously employed, 5 yards l 1 inchesof needle thread and 3 yards 16 /2 inches of looper thread wereconsumed; and for large stitch fingers employed in making a stitch suchas shown schematically in FIG. 3, 7 yards 8 inches of needle thread and4 yards 33 inches of looper thread were consumed.

While the accompanying drawings schematically illustrate the elasticyarns 20 as being provided in the strip 26 as well as the remainder ofthe stocking boot 12, it is to be understood that they may be eliminatedin the strip 26 so that the stitching occurs in a relatively inelasticsingle-ply welt disposed around the upper circumference of the stockingboot 12.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed in detail, other embodiments are within the scope of theinvention and the following claims.

We claim:

I. A full length therapeutic stocking comprising a circumferentiallyelastic boot portion including elastomeric filament containing elasticyarn; a narrow elastic band formed of non-slip elastomeric webbingmaterial and having inner and outer surfaces; and an attachment portioncomprising a single-ply circumferential strip at the top of said bootportion, said strip having inner andouter surfaces; said band beingattached to said strip by over-edge stitching with adjacent portions ofsaid inner surfaces substantially aligned.

2. A stocking as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strip is integral withsaid boot portion.

3. A stocking as claimed in claim 2 wherein said strip iscircumferentially elastic and includes elastomeric filament containingelastic yarn.

4. A stocking as claimed in claim 2 wherein said strip consists ofsubstantially non-elastic yarn.

5. A stocking as claimed in claim 1 wherein said overedge stitchingcomprises a two thread merrow seam.

6. A stocking as claimed in claim 5 wherein said thread is a bulk yarn.

7. A stocking as claimed in claim 5 wherein said thread is a stretchyarn.

8. A full length therapeutic stocking comprising a circumferentiallyelastic boot portion including elastomeric filament containing elasticyarn; a narrow elastic band formed of non-slip elastomeric webbingmaterial; and an attachment portion comprising a single-plycircumferential strip at the top of said boot portion; said band beingattached to said strip in a seam formed by loose over-edge stitchingwhereby a substantial flattening of said seam is produced when it issubjected to only the forces produced by ordinary use of such stockings.

9. A stocking as claimed in claim 8 wherein said overedge stitchingcomprises a two thread merrow seam.

10. A full length therapeutic stocking comprising a circumferentiallyelastic boot portion including elastomeric filament containing elasticyarn, a narrow elastic band formed of non-slip elastomeric webbingmaterial;

and an attachment portion comprising a single-ply cir-' cumferentialstrip at the top of said boot portion; said band being attached to saidstrip by over-edge stitching without overlap of said band and saidstrip.

1. A full length therapeutic stocking comprising a circumferentiallyelastic boot portion including elastomeric filament containing elasticyarn; a narrow elastic band formed of non-slip elastomeric webbingmaterial and having inner and outer surfaces; and an attachment portioncomprising a single-ply circumferential strip at the top of said bootportion, said strip having inner and outer surfaces; said band beingattached to said strip by over-edge stitching with adjacent portions ofsaid inner surfaces substantially aligned.
 2. A stocking as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said strip is integral with said boot portion.
 3. Astocking as claimed in claim 2 wherein said strip is circumferentiallyelastic and includes elastomeric filament containing elastic yarn.
 4. Astocking as claimed in claim 2 wherein said strip consists ofsubstantially non-elastic yarn.
 5. A stocking as claimed in claim 1wherein said over-edge stitching comprises a two thread merrow seam. 6.A stocking as claimed in claim 5 wherein said thread is a bulk yarn. 7.A stocking as claimed in claim 5 wherein said thread is a stretch yarn.8. A full length therapeutic stocking comprising a circumferentiallyelastic boot portion including elastomeric filament containing elasticyarn; a narrow elastic band formed of non-slip elastomeric webbingmaterial; and an attachment portion comprising a single-plycircumferential strip at the top of said boot portion; said band beingattached to said strip in a seam formed by loose over-edge stitchingwhereby a substantial flattening of said seam is produced when it issubjected to only the forces produced by ordinary use of such stockings.9. A stocking as claimed in claim 8 wherein said over-edge stitchingcomprises a two thread merrow seam.
 10. A full length therapeuticstocking comprising a circumferentially elastic boot portion includingelastomeric filament containing elastic yarn, a narrow elastic bandformed of non-slip elastomeric webbing material; and an attachmentportion comprising a single-ply circumferential strip at the top of saidboot portion; said band being attached to said strip by over-edgestitching without overlap of said band and said strip.